French Language Village

Since 1962, villagers at the French Language Villages experience the “grand simulation” of living in another language and participating in cultural activities from a variety of French-speaking countries. They learn language, culture and global perspectives through their counselors who hail from all corners of the globe. With one counselor to every four villagers, there are endless opportunities throughout the day for small group and one-on-one learning and for villagers’ individuality to shine.

French Language Village

Three Distinct Village Experiences

Three distinct French Language Villages. Read on to find your own chez toi (your place). For the full French experience, be sure to come back and try all three!

Lac du Bois - Bemidji – Architecturally authentic Village at the Concordia Language Villages Turtle River Lake site.
Lac du Bois - Hackensack – Classic 1920s era summer camp focusing on ecology and conservation.
Les Voyageurs – Wilderness camping experience based on the history of the French Canadian fur trade.

L’apprentisage du Français

Learning French

Each day in the Village features a variety of activities and strategies that maximize learning in the immersion environment. Singing songs around the campfire, chatting at the Village candy shop during free time, or engaging in a project with a small learning group are just some of the opportunities to learn and practice. Whether just learning bonjour or reciting Baudelaire, villagers progress through skills and vocabulary at their level and pace through a blend of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and conversational activities.

Bon Appétit

Authentic cuisine – authentic experience. Sharing delicious meals is a cornerstone of our language adventure. Our skilled kitchen staff will tempt your tastebuds on a culinary adventure around the French-speaking world.

Musique et Danse

Joie de Vivre

Music is a live expression of a language and its cultures, and you will find musique and danse at the heart of our language immersion at our French Language Villages.

<p>Explore the beautiful lake during <i>activité canotage.</i></p> — Explore the beautiful lake during activité canotage.

Savoir-faire

You’ll learn all kinds of new things en français through the many different activités you have to choose from at our French language villages.

Programs

Day Camps

Pre-K Twin Cities Year-Round Programs Ages 3-5
Lac du Bois Adventure Day Camp Ages 6-10
Helvetia (Swiss) Adventure Day Camp Ages 6-11

Sleepaway Camps

Lac du Bois One-Week Youth ExplorationAges 7-15
One-Week Helvetia (Swiss) Youth ExplorationAges 7-18
Lac du Bois Two-Week Youth ImmersionAges 8-18
Lac du Bois Four-Week EnrichmentAges 12-16
Lac du Bois Four-Week High School Credit ProgramGrades 9-12
Four-Week High School Credit Abroad (Lac du Bois and France/Belgium)Ages 16-18
Lac du Bois Four-Week College Credit ProgramGrades 11-12

Family Weeks & Weekends

Unplug from the bustle of your regular life and spend quality vacation time relaxing and laughing in another language with your family.

Lac du Bois French Family Fun Weekends and Family Weeks

Helvetia (Swiss) Family Week

Programs for School Groups

View our programs for school groups.

Les Voyageurs Sessions

Les Voyageurs Adventure Day Camp Ages 6-11
Les Voyageurs One-Week Youth Exploration Ages 11-13
Les Voyageurs Two-Week Youth Exploration Ages 14-18
Les Voyageurs Four-Week High School Credit Grades 9-12
Les Voyageurs Family Week All Ages

Meet Our Staff

The dean is the on-site director of the Language Village. Our deans and counselors, from the United States and many French–speaking countries, will help you every step of the way throughout all of our French immersion programs, using gestures and demonstration to help you understand new words and giving you plenty of opportunities to practice new words and expressions.

Fun Facts About French

There are many different dialects of French. The blueberry is called “myrtille” in France and “bleuet” in Canada. And “bleuet” in France is cornflower. Couscous is a semoulina pasta in Morocco, but it is a porridge in Cameroon. The number 70 is septante in Belgium and soixante-dix in France. Playing with French words is really fun, and with native speaking staff and counselors who have traveled throughout the French-speaking world, you will get a taste of the rich diversity of the French language at Lac du Bois. Read a few reasons why you should learn French!